Structural Characteristics and Evolution of a Weighted Sino-US Container Shipping Network

This study selected the Sino-US route data from the top 30 global container liner companies between December 1, 2019, and December 29, 2019, as the data source utilizing the complex network research methodology. It constructs a Sino-US container shipping network through voyage weighting and analyzes the essential structural characteristics to explore the network’s complex structural features. The network’s evolution is examined from three perspectives, namely, time, space, and event influence, aiming to comprehensively explore the network’s evolution mechanism. The results revealed that: 1) the weighted Sino-US container shipping network exhibits small-world and scale-free properties. Key hub ports in the United States include NEW YORK NY, SAVANNAH GA, LOS ANGELES CA, and OAKLAND CA, whereas SHANGHAI serving as the hub port in China. The geographical distribution of these hub ports is uneven. 2) Concerning the evolution of the weighted Sino-US container shipping network, from a temporal perspective, the evolution of the regional structure of the entire Sino-US region and the Inland United States is in a stage of radiative expansion and development, with a need for further enhancement in competitiveness and development speed. The evolution of the regional structure of southern China and Europe is transitioning from the stage of radiative expansion and development to an advanced equilibrium stage. The shipping development in Northern China, the Western and Eastern United States, and Asia is undergoing significant changes but faces challenges of fierce competition and imbalances. From a spatial perspective, the rationality and effectiveness of the improved weighted Barrat-Barthelemy-Vespignani (BBV) model are confirmed through theoretical derivation. The applicability of the improved evolution model is verified by simulating the evolution of the weighted Sino-US container shipping network. From an event impact perspective, the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has not fundamentally affected the spatial pattern of the weighted Sino-US container shipping network but has significantly impacted the network’s connectivity. The network lacks sufficient resilience and stability in emergency situations. 3) Based on the analysis of the structural characteristics and evolution of the weighted Sino-US container shipping network, recommendations for network development are proposed from three aspects: emphasizing the development of hub ports, focusing on the balanced development of the network, and optimizing the layout of Chinese ports.